Monday, 13 June 2011

Turning work into an adventure

I was working the Nightrider event in London this weekend. It's a charity 100km ride around London with start times between 11pm and 1am. We headed down to Cambridge to stay with Ali's mum on the friday. Saturday. Lunchtime we went out for a huge and lovely curry.

6pm and my adventure started and I left to ride to London. 57miles with the first half being small villages and the last London. I took it easy although one hill had me thinking about walking. Got up it just, the extra weight on the back was really felt!

The night went well, I was in my element talking about bikes, keeping up the food supplies which included lots of my favourites. It was great to see people managing something that was a huge challenge. I'm not sure riding round London would be my choice and the section through the centre of town was apparently interesting for some groups that got there at pub/club chucking out time.

During the night I felt really bloated and had heartburn. I even struggled to eat many biscuits! But at 9am I set off to ride to Cambridge. An hour in and I stopped for breakfast at a fantastic little cafe. Then it was back into the rain, it had stayed dry all night but started when I started riding home., for the ride home. I was struggling, still bloated, heartburn that felt worse when I put any effort in. Eating and drinking weren't happening. Halfway back I was thinking of calling ali for a lift. With 20miles to go I was wondering if I could do it. My thoughts were if I couldn't manage this how would I manage a 24hour race? But manage it I did. I got back. Ali was great got me in the bath, fed me crisps and water. I then feel asleep on the sofa. Ali drove us home and I crawled into bed.

I rode 112miles in total and it was one of the hardest rides I remember riding. Great adventure though.